31.3.10

OFFERING RARE WORKS OF EXCEPTIONAL PROVENANCE AND HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE, CHRISTIE'S 23.APRIL AUCTION OF RUSSIAN ART WILL PRESENT THE FINEST RUSSIAN WORKS OF ART TO RECENTLY COME TO MARKET. AMONG THE MAJOR SALE HIGHLIGHTS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY SILVER AND ENAMELED IMPERIAL PRESENTATION CHARGER BY SAZIKOZ, WHICH IS ESTIMATED AT $400,000 TO $600,000. THE SALE BE PRECEDED BY A PUBLIC EXHIBITION AT CHRISTIE'S ROCKEFELLER CENTER, NEW YORK, FROM 17-22.APRIL. A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE AUCTION HOUSE SAID: 'IMPERIAL PRESENTATION CHARGERS RARELY APPEAR ON THE AUCTION MARKET AND IT IS OUR PRIVILEGE TO OFFER A WORK OF SUCH HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE.' SUCH LARGE CHARGERS, OR BREAD AND SALT DISHES, WERE OFFERED ON CORONATION DAY DURING THE REIGNS OF EMPERORS ALEXANDER II, ALEXANDER III AND NICHOLAS II BY VISITING PROVINCIAL DIGNITARIES WHO PRESENTED THE EMPEROR WITH BREAD AND SALT IN AN ELABORATE CEREMONY HELD IN THE KREMLIN PALACE. OF TRADITIONAL CIRCULAR FORM, THE CHARGERS VARY IN DESIGN AND WERE EXECUTED BY THE LEADING SILVERSMITHS AND JEWELERS OF MOSCOW AND ST PETERSBURG. OFFERED FOR THE FIRST AT AUCTION, THE CHARGER HAS BELONGED TO THE SAME FAMILY SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED BY A DIPLOMAT IN EUROPE IN THE EARLY 1930s. EXHIBITING EXQUISITE CRAFTSMANSHIP, THE PRESENT LOT WAS LIKELY PRESENTED ON THE CORONATION DAY OF EMPEROR ALEXANDER III AND EMPRESS MARIA FEODOROVNA IN MOSCOW IN 1883. THE CENTER OF THE STUNNING WORK BEARS AN ENAMEL PLAQUE DEPICTING THE ROMANOV GRIFFIN, SURMOUNTED BY A CROWN AND FLANKED BY TWO IMPERIAL DOUBLE-HEADED EAGLES. AN INSCRIPTION IN RUSSIAN READS: 'TO HIS MAJESTY EMPEROR ALEXANDER III ALEXANDROVICH AUTOCRAT TO ALL RUSSIA, GRAND DUKE OF SMOLENSK, ETC, ETC, AND THE CONSORT OF HIS MAJESTY, EMPRESS MARIA FEODOROVNA / AN EARNEST GIFT FROM THE LOYAL SUBJECTS OF THE SMOLENSK NOBILITY 1883'. THE BORDERS OF THE CIRCULAR CHARGER ARE ENGRAVED WITH FOLIATE SCROLLS IN THE OLD RUSSIAN STYLE AND SAT AT INTERVALS WITH ENAMEL ROUNDELS DEPICTING CITIES AND VILLAGES OF THE SMOLENSK REGION. ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS OF RUSSIAN WORKS OF ART INCLUDE A LARGE AND IMPORTANT TWO HANDLED PORCELAIN VASE, BY THE IMPERIAL PORCELAIN FACTORY IN ST PETERSBURG, DATED 1843, AND IS ESTIMATED AT $700,000 TO $900,000, AND A WIDE SELECTION OF CLOISONNE ENAMELS AND MORE THAN 60 WORKS BY FABERGE.

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